After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Court restores Turks' Wikipedia rights in censorship case The top Turkish court's decision that the three-year ban on Wikipedia violated freedom of expression should have gone into effect after its official publication made it binding on Wednesday, but the website is still inaccessible in Turkey. Turkey
Intel: How many US troops do 2020 Democrats want to keep in the Middle East? Democratic presidential hopefuls started Tuesday’s debate by slamming President Donald Trump’s Iran policy and articulating their own vision for the future US force posture in the Middle East. Iraq
Pentagon considering reinforcing missile defenses after Iranian strikes After Iran's Jan. 8 ballistic missile attacks on an Iraqi air base housing US forces, the Pentagon is now challenged with preventing a repeat occurrence. Saudi Arabia
Who gains if Trump publishes peace plan before Israeli election? While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be pushing for the Trump administration to publish its "deal of the century" ahead of the March elections, the candidate who might gain the most from such a situation is Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. Palestine
Mergers, divisions change little in Israel’s political map Even after the parties submitted their Knesset lists for the March elections, there is no significant change in the breakdown of power between the two blocs. Israel
Christians in Iraq welcome 2020 with confidence and desire for change Iraqi Christians hope 2020 brings them more security and national acceptance and brings Iraq more unity and stability. Iraq
Iraqi PM urges Kurds to help rid Iraq of US troops Baghdad expects Iraqi Kurdistan to abide by its decision to remove foreign troops from the country, though Kurdish leaders say the US-led coalition is still helping to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State. Iraq
Israel’s paring of Palestinian tax funds hampers PA budget preparation Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the 2020 budget will go back to being a regular one; the PA operated on an emergency budget last year after Israel cut the PA's tax funds. Palestine
Why Hamas insists on release of jailed Fatah leader Israel has refused the conditions set by Hamas for a future prisoner exchange deal, which include the release of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti. Palestine
Women's group brings equality to Talmud study Over 3,000 women participated in a gathering to celebrate the completion of a seven and a half years of Talmud study put on by the Hadran association, dedicated to make practice inclusive of women. Israel
Palestinian citizens in Israel expect to get 15 seats in Knesset Israel's Palestinian citizens are expecting to expand their number of seats in the next Israeli Knesset due in part to their united position in the Arab Joint List. Israel
Reconciliation drive between Hamas, Saudis hits wall Hamas wants to restore ties with Saudi Arabia, but mediation efforts were stymied by disagreements over the US "deal of the century," the Arab Peace Initiative and other issues. Saudi Arabia